The Pride of the Road, a steam roller built by Aveling & Porter in 1900, stopped for water in Abingdon yesterday. The roller was owned by Hinckley Rural District Council from 1900 to 1926 and was used to build and maintain roads in that area. Since then, it has had various owners and has become an exhibition vehicle.
During July, there have been a couple of stories on this blog about the River Ock. Both were about fallen trees.
I went for a walk along the River Ock yesterday morning and saw a variety of wildlife. I disturbed a heron that was fishing in the weir, and it flew out with a small fish in its mouth.
Another bird I disturbed was a moorhen. It had been on the bank, and clambered down into the water and paddled off with some berries in his mouth.
Mallard ducks are common, being very adaptable, but this duck looks different from a standard Mallard. It could be a hybrid or something else.
There were lots of blue tits in one hawthorn, flitting about, after the haws.
I saw ripe blackberries along the riverbank. They are more accessible now the field next to the Ock Meadow has been cut back.
Cutting the field has not disturbed the invasive Himalayan Balsam that is so plentiful along that stretch. Each plant can produce hundreds of seeds. The ripe seedpods explode when touched and send the seeds a long way. They spread easily. A lot will float down the river and seed downstream. Bees do like them.
Bees also like the Teasel which grows by the river. The seeds will be a useful food for birds.
After the last one disappeared, the secret crocheter quickly created a new post-box topper for the Market Place.
The Market Place was a popular destination today, with people drawn to the Market Place by the mostly sunny weather and the variety of stalls selling local goods at the Local Excellence Market.
It included: beer, biscuits, bread, burgers, cakes, cheese, chillies, fruit and vegetables, gin, gluten-free foods, honey, Indian food, pies, artificial flowers, glassware and ceramics, jewellery, knitted toys, photographs, soap, upcycled bags, and wooden toys.
One local trader told me that Saturday afternoons are as busy as the morning now. Is that partly because of the popularity of coffee shops? They have transformed the centre from a mostly retail space to a place for people to meet up with friends and family.
You may have read in yesterday’s post that in 1923 the film The Sheik was in Abingdon, starring Rudolph Valentino and Agnes Ayres.
A hundred years later, vintage Barbie dolls have been spotted in charity shop windows in Abingdon ahead of the first showing of the live-action Barbie film in the Abbey Cinema on July 28, 2023. The iconic 11-inch plastic doll, first released by Mattel in 1959, has become a cultural phenomenon. Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken, was introduced in 1961, followed by a host of friends and family members.
The live-action film is directed by Greta Gerwig and stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken. The film follows Barbie as she leaves Barbieland for an adventure in the real world where she meets various new people and learns about herself and the world around her.
To celebrate Barbie’s breakout film, the Abbey Cinema will serve Pink Proseccos and Double Pink G&Ts.